Manchester United v Barcelona past meetings

Manchester United and Barcelona face each other in the Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday.

Here AFP looks at five memorable previous encounters between the English and Spanish giants:

March 1984, European Cup Winners Cup quarter-final

Manchester United 3 Barcelona 0

Trailing 2-0 after the first leg of their European Cup Winners Cup quarter-final at the Nou Camp, Manchester United were given little chance of progressing against the Catalans who featured Argentine maestro Diego Maradona.

But goals in each half from England captain Bryan Robson levelled the tie before Frank Stapleton blasted in the winner on one of the great European nights at Old Trafford.

May 1991, European Cup Winners Cup final

Manchester United 2 Barcelona 1

United’s first victory in Europe in 23 years, the Cup Winners Cup final in Rotterdam belonged to Mark Hughes. The Welsh striker had endured a miserable stay at the Nou Camp before being sold back to United.

Hughes gave his former employers a painful taste of what might have been by scoring two second-half goals, the first a close-range toe-poke following a Steve Bruce header, the second a thunderous shot from an acute angle.

Ronald Koeman scored a late consolation for Barcelona.

November 1994, Champions League group phase

Barcelona 4 Manchester United 0

With United unable to field a full-strength side because of UEFA’s restrictions on foreign players, Ferguson’s men were given a brutal lesson by Barcelona in this Champions League group phase encounter at the Nou Camp, where Hristo Stoichkov and Romario were the tormentors in chief.

The second of two extraordinary group games during United’s treble-winning season which both finished 3-3. Barcelona took the lead through Anderson before United’s magical strike partnership of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole took over.

Yorke scored a brace and Cole added another as United went ahead before Rivaldo equalised twice for Barcelona.

May 2009, Champions League final

Barcelona 2 Manchester United 0

United started superbly, with Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly intent on upstaging Lionel Messi in what would be his final match for the Red Devils.

But after withstanding the early onslaught, Barcelona struck through Samuel Eto’o and United were to spend a frustrating evening struggling to win possession from the Catalans celebrated midfield pass masters.

Messi added the second with a header to complete a miserable night for United.